Filming inside a commercial space can sound straightforward. You arrive with a camera, capture the space and move on to the next shot. In reality, filming inside a working business can be much more complicated.
Customers are moving around, staff are carrying out their usual jobs, opening hours can limit when filming is possible and there can be restrictions around where you can stand or what can appear in the footage. Reflections, access and permissions can also create challenges that are not always obvious until you are on location.
This was the case on a recent commercial filming project for a company that creates video content for cinema screens. We were asked to film across four Cineworld locations over two days, capturing a range of screen installations for the client's in house editing team.
The project was a good example of why experience matters when filming video content inside busy commercial environments.
Filming Across Four Cineworld Locations
The shoot covered four Cineworld locations in London and the surrounding area:
Leicester Square
The O2 Greenwich
Wandsworth
South Ruislip
The footage was being created to showcase the different screen installations within each cinema. The screens displayed a mixture of upcoming movie advertising, advertiser content and cinema messaging.
The installations were different at every location. Some were smaller wall mounted displays, while others were much larger and covered significant sections of the cinema foyers, including areas around ticket counters and snack bars.
With four locations to cover across two days, the filming needed to be carefully planned. However, having a plan does not always mean being able to follow the exact same process at every location.
Every Commercial Space Presents Different Challenges
One of the biggest parts of commercial video production is being able to adapt to the environment you are working in.
At the Leicester Square cinema, screens had been integrated into three levels of stairs. This created an interesting filming opportunity, but it also presented a problem with reflections.
Because the cinema was still operating, we had to work around the films being shown and wait for specific screening times. This allowed us to capture the screens without unwanted reflections appearing in the footage.
It meant being patient and understanding that the best shot was not necessarily going to be available straight away.
At the Wandsworth and O2 locations, the client had specified that members of the public could not appear in the footage. This can be difficult when filming inside a busy cinema where people are naturally moving through the space.
Rather than trying to completely control an environment that was still operating as normal, we had to work with it. This involved waiting for the right moments, changing angles and finding ways to capture the screens while keeping members of the public out of shot.
The O2 location also had four large screens positioned outside the cinema. Permission was required from the O2 before these could be filmed, adding another consideration to the planning process.
These are the sorts of practical details that can make a significant difference to a commercial filming project.
Working Around Customers and Opening Hours
Filming inside a commercial environment is very different from filming in a controlled studio.
When working in retail stores, shopping centres, cinemas, offices or other busy premises, the business still needs to operate. Customers need to be able to move around, staff need to carry out their work and the filming needs to cause as little disruption as possible.
This is something we regularly deal with when filming for commercial clients.
We have worked in well known retail environments including Harrods, Selfridges and Westfield, where filming on the shop floor is not possible while the stores are open to customers.
This means the available filming time can be limited and the production needs to be organised carefully. There is little room for wasting time once access has been arranged.
Knowing how to work efficiently in these situations is an important part of professional videography. It is not simply about knowing how to operate a camera. It is about understanding the environment, anticipating potential problems and being able to adapt when something does not go according to plan.
Video Tours for Businesses and Commercial Spaces
Professional video can be a useful way for businesses to showcase their premises and give potential customers a better understanding of their environment.
This could be a retail store, office, showroom, warehouse, cinema, hospitality venue, leisure facility or commercial property.
A professionally filmed video can show the scale, layout and character of a space in a way that photographs alone cannot always achieve. For businesses with impressive premises, it can also be a useful part of a wider marketing campaign.
Commercial video production can be used for websites, social media, advertising, internal communications, presentations and other marketing activity.
The filming approach will depend on the business and what the footage needs to achieve. Some projects may require a complete corporate video, while others may simply need high quality footage of a particular location or installation.
Professional Filming for Your Own In House Editor
Not every business needs a complete video production package.
For this project, the client already had an in house editor, so our role was to capture the footage professionally and provide the material for their team to work with.
Because we were filming four locations across two days, the footage was transferred to the client at the end of each filming day. This meant their in house team could start working with the material immediately rather than waiting until the entire production had finished.
This is something we can offer as part of our commercial video production service.
If you have your own marketing or editing team, we can focus on capturing the footage you need and supply the raw files ready for your post production process.
Alternatively, we can handle the complete production from filming through to editing and delivery.
The approach can be tailored around how your business works and what you need from the project.
Experience That Makes Commercial Filming Easier
Every commercial location is different.
A cinema might have reflections from digital screens to consider. A retail store may only allow filming outside opening hours. An office could have staff and visitors moving through the space. A warehouse may have restricted areas or specific health and safety requirements.
There can also be permissions to arrange, limited access windows, customers to work around and unexpected changes once filming begins.
The ability to deal with these situations comes from experience.
Our work across commercial spaces, retail environments and other large scale locations has given us experience of working quickly and professionally while adapting to the conditions around us.
The aim is always to capture the footage the client needs without allowing the practical challenges of the location to compromise the final result.
Commercial Video Production in London
If you are looking to film your business premises, a retail store, office, showroom, cinema or another commercial space, the production needs to be planned around the location as much as the filming itself.
From arranging access and permissions to working around customers, staff, reflections and opening hours, there are often many things to consider before the camera even starts rolling.
Parker Photography & Video provides professional commercial video production and videography for businesses across London and beyond. Whether you need a complete corporate video, professional footage for your own editing team or a video tour of your premises, we can work with you to plan the filming around your location and requirements.
If you are planning a commercial video project and would like to discuss your requirements, get in touch with Parker Photography & Video to find out how we can help.